NATIONAL FIRE 
PROTECTION ASSOCIATION 
87 MILK STREET 
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 




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COMING 



Copies of this Bulletin may be had 

of the National Fire Protection 

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$2.00 PER HUNDRED 



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I 



WHO CAHES? 



Independence Day Disasters 

NDEPENDETSrCE Day is coming ; clay o£ powder-poisoning and locliiaw ; day of hospi- 
tals and ambulances ; day of mutilation and fire and death. If there is anything that 
is sane in the American people it is the growing revolt against onr insane manner of 
celebrating the Fourth of July. It might be called " Incendiaries' Day " ; for on that 
day the fire-fiend runs riot. No man having any public responsibility fails to dread it. No 



Clay tiie iire-ueiiii 1U1I5. ii-jij. j-'-^ ,.^u^^, ■•■a -— j j- - -. - i .• 

fire department gets through the day, and the nights on both sides of it, without exhaustion. 
It is doubtful if on some fifth of July an entire city may not complacently burn itself up in the 
faces of firemen and fire horses too exhausted by silly firecracker fires the day before to cope 
with it The fire-fighting apparatus of onr cities and towns is so overtaxed by the numberless 
calls which begin on the evening of July 3d that response to possible summons for help by 
neio-hboring towns or cities is impossible. What fire chief would dare allow even a hose wagon 
to .0 beyond immediate recall while alarms in his own city are coming in at ten-minute intervals? Even the large number 
of false alarms due to the reckless use of the day, have their dire significance, for they tire out the horses and the men, 
aL tdrfce the abil ty of the department to cope with actual tires. When the gong begins to ring at heaclquarters, its 
can i a imperative for a rubbish heap abla.e as it is for the home of a citizen. The wear and tear o the apparatus, 
and ven "e L" ry to the horses during thirty-six hours of almost constant runs, may be as great for false alarms as for 
real ones It seenL a sort of folly almost too unspeakable to relate, but there are instances where American firemen 
hat been kUlecrin runs to fires on July 4th by being thrown from trucks by frightened horses swerving from their 
pniii-^p at exnlosives thrown under them as they galloped past. -, ,. , 

course at explosives ^^^ ^^^^^^ ^^ ^^^^^^^^^ ^^.^^^ ^^.^ ^^^^^^ ae-^en^ent for life Life and limb a.^ jeop- 

ardizecl by explosives thrown from windows above the level of the street, setting fire to clothing and menacing the eye- 
St of those passing while upon the child, who in his innocent love of noise and objective demonstration responds to 
our mient absurd kh d of eel bration, falls the heavy hand of disaster. When our civilization was not so complex, it 
was possiWel" those who had the courage to leave their homes to the mercy of possible conflagi-a tions to shut them 
Tp and e cape to the quiet of the country. Not so to-day. The trolley car and the automobile follow the seeker after 
peace to his country retreats, throwing explosives at his head as they roar past in their reckless irresponsibility 

And for what' Nobody stops to inquire. Nobody any longer cares. We have gotten wholly away from the 
educationalsignificanceof" Independence "Day, and lost ourselves in an orgy of fire and noise. , , .,, , 

It s perhaps, too much to expect any sudden return to sanity ; but some effort at least may be mac e by cities ami 
towns tow;rieacUng their people into more moderate and more intelligent forms of celebration. If explosives must be 
uslcl thertho ities^cau limit their use to the public parks during certain hours of the clay, where the folly-hunters may 
k 11 ancl maim themselves and each other to heart's content, without injuring other people or destroying property by 
fire The firin. off of explosives among the closely built shiugle-roofed frame houses, which compose the greater part 
of our cities is wholly in accord with the reckless spirit of Americans regarding lire. , , „ , , 

If before every Fourth of July all cities and towns were given a thorough cleaning of rubbish, and all use of explo- 
sives then estricted as to time and place, the police and public wardens might have at least a fighting chance to minimize 
Ssastror estuts of our public folly during the years it may require to inspire in our people a desire for a rational 
Snc^^of celebration. And such a desire must be inspired. It is the duty of every city to arrange for its people suitab e 
alsements or e " -ises definitely calculated to educate them in a rational observance of this historic holiday. Habits 
of follTTan be most easily eliminated by a substitution of something better. The things a city can do to mteres^ its 
iizeni in a sane and wholesome celebration are unlimited, and the municipalities, which in the pas two years hav 
taken steps in this direction, are already receiving national piuise for their wisdom and their high sense of civie 

'"''"indlpendence Day of 1911 is coming. To what city, what town, what mother or father is it this year to bring 
suffering or sorrow the day after ? 




STATISTICS OF INDEPENDENCE 
DAY IN AMERICA 



O P/D'NTKN0WirWA5 LOADED 
a TH0U6HT IT WENT OUT 

•j thouoht they were blank5 
Etc. 



^ 



YEAR 


DEAD 


WOUNDED 


TOTAL 


1903 


466 


3,393 


3,859 


1904 


183 


3,986 


4,169 


1905 


182 


4,994 


5,176 


1906 


158 


5,308 


5,466 


1907 


164 


4,249 


4,413 


1908 


163 


5,460 


5,623 


1909 


215 


5,307 


5,522 


1910 


131 


2,923 


3,054 



1,662 35,620 37,282 

THIS Year, 1911, How many 
are to be slaughtered? y 



Copyright, Life Piiblhhivg Company, iqii. 

FORECAST FOR JULY 4, igll 



(^S&'X' 




/ 



■Ri' 



THE MORNING AFTER 




Courtesy of Life. 



"THE GLORIOUS FOURTH" 



The Publishers of hife h;ive consented to furnish this electrotype in coarse screen (suitable for newspaper work), at cost, to those desiring to use it. 

Price, $1.25. Address LIFE, 17 ^V. 31st St., N. Y. 

NATIONAL FIRE PROTECTION ASSOCIATION 



COMMITTEE ON COMMON CAUSES OF FIRE 



Edward R. Hardy 



Charles E. Meek 



Franklin H. \Ventworth, Chairman 
W. H. Merrill 



Thos. P. Tuite 



W. S. Wensley 



To Members : 

The effect of our Association's first united and organized attempt made last year to use its 
influence toward bringing about a rational celebration of Independence day was followed by a 
marked diminution in the number of deaths and accidents reported. This bulletin is again sent 
to the entire membership. All members are urged to bring it before the editors of their local 
papers and induce them to publish and comment upon the matter furnished, and personally to 
co-operate as far as possible in all efforts of their home towns and cities to organize civic 
celebrations of a rational character. 



<=^^^mJC^{^ ^T ^iu/ioon/^ 



Secretary. 



National Fire Protection Association. 



W. H. MERRILL, President 



Anu'iican ludtitute of Arcliiteetd, 

Ameriuiin Institute of Electrical Enj^ineers, 

AmerieaD Electric Railway Association, 

American Wareliousemen's Association, 

American Water Works Association, 

Ass'd. Factory Mnt. Fire Ins. Co.'s Jnsp. Bureau. 

Association of Fire Underwriters of Baltimore City, 

linan\ of Fire Underwriters of Allegheny County, 

lioiird of Fire Underwriters of the Pacific, 

Board of Fire Underwriters of Territory of Hawaii, 

Boston Board of Fire Un<lerwriters. 

Buffalo Association of FircUQderwriters, 

Canadian Fiic rnilcruritcrs' AssiK'iation, 

Caiiaiiijin :\[;iiinl;i(tui-rr>* Associatioit. 

Chita^o lliiard i»l ['iidor%\ liters uf Cliicago, 

Cincinnati Fire Prevml ion llareau, 

Cleveland Inspection l;iii<-;ui, 

Cotton Insui'ance Assoriation, 

Electrical Su|)|dv -lolilicis Association. 

Fiictnrv lnsui';iiHT AsxMiJatiun, 

Kacloi-y MiitUMi L:ilM«ratorics, 

Fire Underwriters' Electrical Bureau, 

Fire Underwriters' Inspection Bureau, 

Hudson Insiiection Bureau, 

Indiana Instiectiou Bureau, 

Tnilian;i State Kire l*re\ention Association, 

Insurance A:^sociation of Providence, 

hitertialionul Acetylene Assoeiati<ni, 

Internal itnial A>s(n-i;ilion of Fire Engineers, 

Iowa Stide Fire l*re\ ention Association, 

Kansas Fire Insurance fnspection (>ttice. 



87 MILK STREET, BOSTON. 

C. H. PHINNEY. Vice-President 

ACTIVE MEMBEES. 

Kentucky lns]^ection Bureau, 
Kentueky State l''ire Prevention As&oeiation. 
Louisiana Fire Prevention liureau. 
Louisville Board of Fire Underwriters. 
Mainland Fire Unilerwriters* Assn. of B. C, 
-Massachusetts Mutual Fire Insurance Union, 
Michigan Inspection Bureau. 
MidiUe States Inspection Bureau, 
Milwaukee Board of Fire Underwriters, 
Minnesota State Fire Prevention Association. 
Mississippi Insi)ection and Advisory Rating Co., 
lOissouri Fire Pre\'ention Association. 
Missouri Inspection ami Survey Bureau, 
Mutual Fire Preventicni Bureau. 
National Assn. of Cement Users, 
Xationiil Assn. of Cre;lit Men, 
National Assn. Factory Mutual Ins. Companies, 
Naiitnial Assn. of Local t-ire Ins. Agents, The 
National Association of Manufacturers of U. S. 
National Assn. Master Gravel and Slag Koofers 

America, 
National Assn. of Sheet Metal Contractors of U. :* 
National Board of Fire Underwriters. 
Natioral Electrical Contractors' Associatitm, 
National F^Iecti-ical ln<)>ccior--' Association, 
National Pllectrie Li,i,dit A ---oriation, 
Natifuial Hardware A.->oci:ii ion of U. S., The 
Nebraska Inspection Bur(aiu. 
Nebraska Slate Fire Prevention Association, 
Newark Inspection Bureau. 
New Brunswick Board of Fire Underwriters, 



of 



FRANKLIN H. WENTWORT: 



New England Bureau of United Inspi 
New England Insurance Exchange, 
New Hampshire Board of Fire Under 
New York Board of Fire Underwriter 
New York Fire Insurance E.xchauge, 
North Dakota State Fire Prevention 
Nova Scotia Board of Fire Uuderwrit 
Ohio Inspection Bureau, 
Ohio Slate Fire Prevention Associat 
Oklahoma Inspection Bureau. 
Philadelphia Fire Underwriters' Ass 
Philadelphia Suburban Underwriter^ 
Rocky Monntiiin Fire Underwriters' ^ 
Hoyai Architectural Institute of Cam 
South Kasterii Underwriters' Associa 
St. Louis Fire Pre\ ention Bureau, 
Suburbiin Fire Insurance Exchange, 
Tennessee Inspection Bureau, 
Texas Fire Prevention Association, 
The Union, 

Underwriters' Assn. of the Middle D( 
Underwriters' Associntiou of New Y( 
Underwriters' Bureau Middle and Soi 
Underwriters' Bureau of New Englau 
Underwiiters' Laboratories, Inc., 
Western Actuarial Bureau, 
W^cstern Canada Fire Underwriters' j 
W^cstcin Factory Insurance Associat 
West Virginia Fire Underwriters' As: 
West Virginia Inspection Bureau, 
Wisconsin Sl:ite Fire Prevention Ass 



FIREWORKS ORDINANCE. 

Suggested by National Fire Protection Association. 

Prohibiting the discharge or firing of fireworks and other pyrotechnic display and to limit their storage. 

Be it ordained by of the City of , as follows : — 

Section Xo. 1. The discharge, firing or nse of all firecrackers, rockets, torpedoes, Roman candles, or other firework 
or substances designed and intended for pyrotechnic display, and of all pistols, canes, cannons, or other aijpliances, usin 

blank cartridges or caps containing chlorate of xiotash mixture, is hereby prohibited. Provided that the 

may order the public display of fireworks by properly qualified individuals under the direct supervision of experts in th 
handling of fireworks. Provided also that such display or displays shall be of such a character and so located, dis 
charged or fived as, in the opinion of the Chief of the Fire Dexjartnient, shall not be hazardous to surrounding propert 
or endanger any person or i^ersons. 

Section No. 2. The sale of fireworks at retail is prohibited. 

Section No. '■'•. The storage or sale of fireworks at wholesale is prohibited, except by permit from the .... 
issued for a period of one year. Application for permit must be filed with the Chief of the Fire Department at least 3 
days previous to the issuing of the permit and must give detailed description of the proj)osed care and storage of sai 
materials and of the structural conditiims and occupancies of the building. 

■ Section No. 4. Permits may be issued only after an inspection of the premises by the Chief of the Fire Depari 
ment or his authorized agent, who shall file with tlie Mayor and Fire Department a certificate of approval or his disaj 
proval and reasons therefor. 

Section No. d. Any person, firm or corporation violating any of the provisions of this ordinance as regards th 
storage and sale of fireworks shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and be fined not less than Ten (810.00) Dollai 
nor more than Twenty-five (SS-i.OO) Dollars for each day's neglect of compliance. Provided also that violation of othe 
sections ni this ordinance shall be considered a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not exceeding Ten (§10.00) Dollars. 

The Chief of the Fire Department may, at his discretion, remove or have removed, at the owner's expense, all stock 
of fireworks or other combustible exposed for sale, or held in stock in violation of this ordinance. 

Section No. 6. The Chief of the Fire Department shall direct such fire appliances as in his judgment may be ne( 
essary for the premises, and he shall see that two or more persons are instructed in their use, and as to the best mean 
of getting fire alarms to the Fire Department. 

Section No. 7. All ordinances and parts of ordinances inconsistent herewith are hereby repealed. 

Section No. 8. This ordinance shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage and legal publication. 

Here is the Result of one year's aperation of such a law in Washington, D. C 

A STRIKING CONTRAST 



Number of persons treated at Washington, D. C, local hospitals tor injuries from explosives: 

JULY 4, igoS JULY 4, 1909 

HOSPITAL (Wlien fireworks were :Ulo\vud) (Wlien fireworks were proliibitetl) 

Emergency 2.'? 00 

Casualty 6 00 

Fkeedmen'.s 5 00 

Georgetown 10 00 

Garfield 4 00 

Homeopathic 52 00 

CniLDK^.N's 2 00 

Totals 104 00 

Members are urged to have the above ordinance introduced at once into their local City Councils. Tt can ecsih:^' 

2:>assed after the 4th of ■fu/y wpon the wave ot public opinion which follows the annual tale of death and fire. Sr 

great gain can be made this year, toward next year. .^*««.— i 



